Love and Betrayal
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: Shadows Within. Strauss and Gideon are closing in, but the team will do anything to stay together. God have mercy on Strauss, because they won't!
1. Chapter 1

Criminal Minds © CBS.

Part 17 of Shadows Within. I know I said there'd be another story before this one, but I changed my mind.

**Love and Betrayal**

Reid knows it almost instantly. There's a void where there should be a person, and he already knows exactly who it is. He doesn't bother waking the rest of the team. He simply gets up, leaves the mansion, and drives away, back to the park near what used to be his apartment.

The minds of DC have always been a constant background noise in Reid's head. He can't hear individual words, just a murmur that never goes away. Changes in that murmur come to his attention immediately. A sudden blank space can only mean one of two things – unsub, or Gideon.

"I didn't expect you to find me so fast."

Reid just stares at the back of his head. "I thought Rossi chased you off last time." he replies. Gideon sits on his bench, staring at the duck pond. He refuses to turn around, and Reid refuses to sit down next to him. He just stands there, hands in his pockets, wondering why the hell he decided to come alone. "Why are you here?"

"I'm not allowed to visit?"

"Not really. You never have before."

Gideon sighs. "I came to deliver a warning. And an offer."

That sends chills down Reid's spine. "Okay."

"Strauss knows about your condition." Gideon finally turns to face Reid. "She called me a few months ago. Wanted to know what I knew about it. So I gave her a little bit of information."

Reid can't breathe. "You – you told her? Told her what, exactly?"

"That you're taking after your mother. That the others are enabling you." Gideon stands up. "I know what it's like, Reid. I remember having the same delusions when I was a kid. I got help – I outgrew it. You need help, too."

The younger man takes a step back. His hands are shaking. "So what's the offer?"

"Strauss is going to fire you. You'll have nowhere to go." Gideon smiles faintly. "I can take you in. Get you help. Take care of you."

"I don't need help!"

He needs to calm down. Despite how well they've managed to separate themselves out, bleed-through is still way too easy. His anger and fear is going to alert the others, if it hasn't already. He can't _think_, can't reach out and find the others like he normally would. Gideon has him thrown completely off-balance.

Gideon takes a step forward. "Reid?"

His reaction is automatic – Reid flinches and takes a step back. "I'm not going with you." he says quietly. Anger is winning out over fear. His fists clench to steady the shaking. "You can't make me."

"Now you sound like a child." Gideon takes another step forward. Reid backs away again. His back is pressed against his car. "Come on, Reid. You know what this is. You know I can help you."

"No, you can't." Reid says. "Stay where you are."

Gideon stops. "What are you going to do? Hit me?"

Reid grins, even though there's nothing remotely funny about this situation. He remembers those words from a very long time ago, back when he first started high school, and the bullies came out of the woodwork. "I hear I have a mean swing now."

Someone touches his shoulder. Reid jerks. Hotch stands on his left, Rossi on his right. Morgan, Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia are all on the other side of Reid's car, just standing there as if daring Gideon to do something about it. Rossi grins.

"I thought I told you to leave my family alone."

Gideon snorts. "It's not your family, David. It never was."

"Oh, and it's yours, I guess?" Rossi's hand drops to his hip, where his gun sits. Gideon automatically takes a step back. "Back off, Jason. Leave us alone."

"I can't." Gideon replies. "Strauss called me in. She knows about Reid. She knows how sick he is. I just don't understand why you guys don't see it. The best profilers in the world, and you can't tell a schizophrenic who lives under your own roof."

"Reid isn't sick." Prentiss says, speaking up for the first time. "You are."

Gideon blinks. "I am?"

"Of course." JJ says. "You already admitted to being medicated in the past. Since you left the BAU, you've been in and out of mental institutions. This is just another in a long line of mental breakdowns for you."

For the first time, the team sees a reaction. Gideon's lip curls in a sneer. "That's a lie and you know it." he bites out.

Garcia grins. "A lie? We all know the records are there. It's just a matter of looking for them. And yeah – I won't be the one they sic on that paper trail, but I'll make sure they find it."

Gideon stares at them. They're a unified front, and he knows what will happen if he screws them over. They'll screw him into the ground, and he'll never dig his way out. So he does the only thing he can do. He turns and walks away. Strauss will deal with them later.

Hotch waits until Gideon is out of sight before rounding on Reid. _The hell were you thinking walking away like that!_

_I didn't know what he was going to do!_

_Considering last time, you didn't think he'd try something like this? We know Strauss is on to us, we knew she'd hunt someone down to get dirt on us, you didn't think that would be Gideon?_ He grabs Reid by the shoulders and pulls him to him. _You scared us._

Reid smiles faintly. _Sorry._

_Just don't do it again._ Morgan says with a grin. _Hotch 'bout went crazy trying to find you._

Rossi shakes his head. _Come on. We need to get moving. If we're going to head Strauss off, we've got a lot of work to do._

/-/

An: And of course, another part one. There will be a second chapter to this, where they confront both Strauss and Gideon.


	2. Chapter 2

An: I am so sorry for the long update time. I've picked up a new hobby that's rather time-consuming, and I kinda forgot about this.

**Love and Betrayal – Pt 2**

Strauss can't believe this. As is FBI procedure, she runs a background check on Jason Gideon. She's not expecting anything to come through – it's mostly to reassure herself. If she's going to bring charges against Aaron Hotchner and his team, she has to prove that Gideon is clean.

Turns out, he's not.

She stares at the papers, fuming silently. A knock on her office door draws her from her private fury. "Come in." she orders, making sure her voice shows none of her irritation. When Gideon walks in, however, she loses it. "What the hell happened to you?"

Gideon blinks. "I'm sorry?"

"Look at this!" She shoves the papers at him. "Do you see this? Three extended psych stays, medications, an on-call doctor – what the hell is all of this!"

He looks things over, a small scowl twisting his lips. "Garcia."

"I figured." Strauss growls. "But there's no proof of tampering – do you understand what that means, Jason? That means that I can't take any of what you told me to the Director!" She slams her fist on the table. "I have nothing to use against Aaron!"

"What were you expecting, going up against the BAU?" Gideon snaps. "They're loyal to each other, they'll do what's necessary to protect themselves. It's all part of the lie they've set up to enable Spencer."

"Reasons don't help. There's still nothing I can use!"

"That's right." The voice at the door scares both of them. Gideon actually jumps and spins around, backing up as far as he can. Aaron Hotchner stands there by the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes are cold, and for the first time, Strauss actually finds herself afraid of him. Hotchner smiles.

"Hello, Jason." he says pleasantly. Gideon simply nods, and Hotch doesn't need Reid's abilities to know Gideon is extremely uncomfortable, borderline frightened. Good. That's exactly how he wants both of them. He takes a step into the office and closes the door behind him.

The click of the lock sliding into place is almost deafening. Hotch turns back to face them both, one hand resting on the butt of his gun. It's mostly intimidation – if he wanted to hurt them, he'd have the gun drawn. Neither of them know this.

Strauss swallows. "We were just discussing the future of your team." she says. "Would you care to have a seat?"

"Not really." Hotch replies. "I didn't come here to listen to you. I came to make you listen to me." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flash drive, holding it up just long enough for Strauss to see it before returning it to its safe place. Strauss just stares at him.

"Not much of a threat."

"On that flash drive is evidence of every time you have come after my team." Hotch says. It's a fight to keep his voice level, to keep from screaming. "Every time you've tried to split us up, or get me fired. Every accusation you've ever leveled against me and mine. On that drive is evidence that you lied in an effort to remove me from my position. There is also Prentiss's testimony that you hired her so she would spy on me."

Strauss's eyes are wide, but it's his only indication that she's scared. Her hands are steady as she folds them in front of her. "I'm guessing you're here to make a deal."

"No. I'm here to issue a warning." Hotch walks up to the desk and leans over it, smiling a little when Strauss automatically flinches back. "Come after my team again, and I will give that flash drive to your bosses. I will personally make sure that you lose _everything_ you have ever worked for – your job, your family, your life. Everything. I will take it all from you and enjoy every minute of it, because if you push this, _I will win_."

There's a very long pause. Strauss sits in her chair, eyes wide, staring at Hotch like he's lost his mind. Maybe he has. Before the BAU, he never would have considered threatening his boss like this. Now, he can see no other option. Satisfied that he's made his point, Hotch turns his attention to Gideon.

The older agent is quick. "There's nothing you can use to threaten me."

"Come near Reid again, and Rossi will shoot you. I'll bury the body." Hotch doesn't even wait for a reaction. He simply opens the door and moves to leave. Strauss's voice stops him half-way out the door.

"I will have your badge for this, Agent Hotchner."

Hotch smiles at her. It sends chills down his spine. "Will you really?" he says. "Or will I have yours?" With that he walks away.

He can hear Strauss scream in frustration a few offices away. A small smile graces his face. In the bullpen, his team watches as he comes back to his own office. Rossi brushes against his mind.

_Everything okay?_

Hotch sends him the impression of a nod. _I don't think Strauss will challenge me._

_Good. Because Plan B wasn't much of a plan._ Prentiss says. Hotch frowns as he enters his office. Prentiss elaborates. _Hey, you think we're willing to work here with anyone else as our boss?_

Hotch doesn't have to ask. He doesn't have to challenge them, tell them he isn't worth their jobs, because quite frankly, he'll do the same thing if the roles are reversed. This is his team, his family, and they work together or not at all.

He just hopes Strauss gets the hint this time.

/-/

AN: Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but the story is done! It will be a while before I update again, but have no fear, the Shadows Within saga will continue.

Until next time,

Shadowblade-tara


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